[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 6 (Wednesday, January 10, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H91-H92]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HIGHLIGHTING THE COURAGE AND PERSEVERANCE OF SONIA WARSHAWSKI

  (Mr. YODER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the courage and 
perseverance of Sonia Warshawski, one of the few remaining Holocaust 
survivors in the Kansas City community and a constituent of mine. Now 
91 years old, as a Polish teenager, she was forced into concentration 
camps, ripped from her family, and even had to watch as her mother 
walked into the gas chamber.
  Her life is being highlighted in a recent documentary showing in 
American movie theaters called ``Big Sonia,'' co-directed by her 
granddaughter, Leah Warshawski. This beautiful film tells the story of 
her struggle and heartbreak and the power of love to overcome hate.
  I have known Sonia for years as a friend, but also as a customer, as 
she runs the small tailoring business started by her husband, John, who 
is also a Holocaust survivor.
  Sonia's story reminds us of the unspeakable evil that she and others 
in the Holocaust had to endure and that we must never forget today. But 
her story as a survivor also reminds us of humanity's beauty and 
kindness and the power to endure and overcome unspeakable tragedy.

[[Page H92]]

  Thank you for sharing your inspirational story with America, Big 
Sonia.

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